Aug 03, 2009 12:32 AM
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(Updated Aug 03, 2009 12:34 AM)
When I had started listening to Beatles during my teens, I was an out and out John Lennon man. But as time passed and I got to listen to the post Beatles albums by Harrison (Cloud Nine & 33 1/3) & Mc Cartney (Ram & Band On the Run), my faith fast shifted to Harrison. After I had listened to "All Things Must Pass" I become a hard core Harrison fanatic.
Post the Beatles split in 1970, the members went their separate ways and started releasing their solo albums almost immediately, everyone having a large backlog of ready solo material at their disposal. While Lennon had a handful of hits including Imagine, most of Mc Cartneys's works was nothing to write home about. But Harrison stunned everybody with the release of All Things Must Pass (ATMP) in late 1970.
ATMP was released as a triple album. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and produced by Harrison and Phil Spector. The album has a total of 23 songs with a run time of 106 minutes. The last 5 songs comprise the third part of the album featuring long jam sessions by Harrison with Clapton, Voormann and a few others. This is a totally avoidable spot in an otherwise immaculate album. But that's where the list of cons ends.
The rest of the record, that is parts 1 & 2 album are as good as it gets. Great Lyrics backed up by some stupendous guitar play, slide and all, ATMP has every making of an all time great album. Since the album was released at a time when the Beatles had just broken up and Harrison's own life was not without its tragedies, most of it gets reflected here, albeit in a very constructive way. His faith in religion & enchantment with Hindu mythology helps save the day for him.
The album begins with I'd Have You Anytime, a song co-written by close friend Bob Dylan with Harrison in lead and Calpton to boot, this one of the most melodious songs by Harrison and poignant to the core. Talking of Supergroups, outside of Psychedelia, can it get any better than this...?
Next is My Sweet Lord, also released as a single and perhaps the trademark solo Harrison song, not as much because of its brilliance but because it so effectively describes his preoccupation with Indian mysticism and a love of religion. It was surrounded by controversy with one of the Music Companies alleging that the music was stolen from their song He's So Fine. The song went on to become one of the mainstays in the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh.
Wah wah is a sarcasm on McCartney who George felt was too overbearing during the recording of the White Album.
Isnt it a Pity is a reflective masterpiece with beautiful lyrics "Some things take so long, but how do I explain, when not too many people can see we're all the same..." speaking perhaps about the love triangle between Harrison, wife Patti Boyd and close friend Eric Clapton. There was a time when I stopped listening to Clapton when I heard of the triangle story but later realised that as Harrison said, "we're all the same". Maybe we are and it cant be helped...!
What Is Life starts with the kind of music that one usually relates to Latin American dancers but its hardly that. It an energetic and rousing song with that has Harrison asking questions like "Tell me what is my life without your love...? Tell me who am I without you, by my side...."
If Not For You was written by Dylan for his LP New Morning and borrowed and wonderfully set to music subsequently by Harrison. The lyrics are as stunning as Dylan can get "If not for you, Babe, I couldn't find the door, Couldn't even see the floor, I'd be sad and blue, If not for you...."
Behind That Locked Door was written for Dylan, who had left the stage at the Isle of Wight concert feeling disheartened after songs from his understated albums Nashville Skyline and John Wesley Harding, received lukewarm response from the audience.
The second album starts with Beware of Darkness. The lyrics run "It can hit you, it can hurt you, Make you sore and what is more, That is not what you are here for. Watch out now, take care, Beware of soft shoe shufflers, dancing down the sidewalks, as each unconscious sufferer, Wanders aimlessly, Beware of MAYA..."
Apple Scruffs is about a Group of fans who stood outside of Apple's studios. Its very much similar to "Old Brown Shoe" in nature and just as excellent.
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp alludes to the 19th century builder of a mansion at one Harrison's estates.
All Things Must Pass, the title song, was recorded during the Let It Be sessions and showcases the intospective mood of the record. The song has been uploaded alongwith a slideshow of pictures at various stages of Harrison's life, running the gamut from his days with the Beatles through sitar lessons with Ravi Shankar through wife Patti, through recording studio through Maharishi Mahesh Yogi through the concert of Bangladesh through Dhani Harrison to days with Travelling Wilburys.
Art of Dying features a 19-year-old Phil Collins on percussion. Just about okay song, allegedly overproduced in the opinions of many.
Awaiting on You All is easily the most buouyant and 'hopeful' song on the record where Harrison tells us "You don't need no passport, And you don't need no visas. You don't need to designate or to emigrate before you can see Jesus. If you open up your heart, you'll see he's right there. Always was and will be, he'll relieve you of your cares...." The song has a "religious & preaching" quality, something that doesnt go down well with atheists like me but the music is excellent and more than compensates for the religious obsession.
The album featured as No.1 in the list of "Alternate Top 100 albums" but I daresay it should easily figure in the Top 10 albums of all times. If you are looking for material as exalted as While My Guitar Gently Weeps, I'm afraid it isnt quite as spectacular but it maintains an enviable consistency of quality that is hard to match at an album level. So, All Things... not only passes but does so with flying colours and makes you wonder why on earth was Harrison limited to 2 songs per album during the Beatles' era.... !
